Carolina Hurricanes: A Look Into the Development of Jesper Sellgren

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ROSEMONT, IL – JUNE 05: Charlotte Checkers Jesper Sellgren checks Chicago Wolves defenseman Jake Bischoff (28) in the third period during game three of the AHL Calder Cup Finals between the Charlotte Checkers and the Chicago Wolves on June 5, 2019, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

His Story

If you go to google and type in “Jesper Sellgren 2016 draft”, nothing of importance regarding the search appears. He wasn’t even a blip on the radar in his draft year. If you do the same thing and put “2017” the results are also sparse.

It seems rather fair to say that this kid was virtually unknown to the NHL landscape until the 2018 World Junior tournament, where he emerged as a real dynamic piece on the Swedish blueline. Scouts and observers raved at his ability – despite just one point in the tournament, he showed a calming presence exiting his zone and nice defensive instincts for a guy his size.

Sellgren was listed at just 5’10, 143lbs when he was drafted, but at Canes training camp this past summer, the team listed him at 5’11, 169. It’s a good sign that he’s added some mass. He’s not an overly physical player, but he uses leverage and angles to his advantage when defending. His high hockey IQ also helps in that regard, and he’s quick at processing plays as they happen.

Anyway, during his initial draft year, Sellgren was playing for MODO of the SuperElit league in Sweden, which is the highest level of junior hockey over there. He moved up to the Allsvenskan league the following year, which is more or less the Swedish AHL, and had decent results, but nothing eye-popping enough to be drafted as a first-time overager.

The next year was obviously when Sellgren got his chance to show scouts his ability with the Swedish WJC team. Despite having first-round talents like Erik Brannstrom, Rasmus Dahlin and Timothy Liljegren alongside him, Sellgren was heralded by some as the best Swedish defender in the tournament, and he led his team in ice-time during the Goal Medal game that year.

Scouts were very impressed by Sellgren’s performance, and he got a ringing endorsement from credential Athletic prospect writer Corey Pronman:

As such, when the 2018 NHL draft rolled around, Sellgren was a fixture on a lot of draft boards. Some scouting outlets had him as high as the 4th round, but he ultimately slid to the Hurricanes in the 6th, 166th overall, who now stand to reap the rewards of Sellgren being overlooked.

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